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Well lookie what landed today! So... this is a Limelight Precision, with a '67 spec in a light-relic LPB finish. I ordered it last year, and had a good chat with the - extremely pleasant - Mark at Limelight to discuss the spec and the level of relic'ing. I wanted the finish to be a little more muted, so it glows a bit more, and he's obliged. It's a nice weight, less than 9lbs, helped by the Gotoh Res-o-Lites, which bumped the cost up a little more. I've just put proper strings on it (it came with fairly light rounds), and it sounds just like I'd hoped. A really nice P... and it cost significantly less than a Fender Roadworn MIM. I'm about to start a solid week of rehearsals, so lots of time to give it a run out. Happy days!

Doesn't matter what you're making. I'd follow the thread if you were building a sideboard.

Looking at the subject heading I was expecting a discussion about Jack Klugman! Anyone for a subdural haematoma?

The dude is 84 and claims to have ten movies, six albums, four Broadway shows and a number of other projects on the horizon! Hardly someone who’s no longer relevant and has it ‘all behind him’. The thing is that he has had a pop at a few sacred cows (Macca, Jackson, Prince et al), which has upset a few people when their heroes are being dissed by someone of his undoubted pedigree.

I remember being in talks with my folks about the possibility of getting some kind of instrument, and then seeing this ad in some magazine and thinking..wow. I just found it online and it's one of those things that makes you go right back in time. I was 13 or so, going back and forward deciding between guitars and bass as my final request, sure that one of these would be mine. We ended up going to a shop and I got an Encore P-Bass (which was actually great). Here's to joint Christmas and birthday presents.

Here are my two new working basses. I had kind of given up playing in bands after doing it for around 25 years and had sold all my working basses but then an opportunity came up to join my friends band. They are a very busy, popular club band playing stuff from the 50s and 60s so I was in need of a couple of working basses. I've gone from doing zero gigs to about 60 a year. The first is a Fender Jazz American Vintage 75 Reissue and the second is a Fender Precision FSR 70's Reissue. Both are amazing to play and I love how they look similar.

Had to add to this thread. After using the new site and got used to it, how did we survive before? The look, feel, facilities, notifications are just brilliant. Also much more responsive, which may be due to the server shift. Well done peeps. Cheers Geoff

Cracking looking bass. I have one of the newer bolt on Arpeges but I think the old through neck models are truly state of the art and more unique looking. For anyone else looking to get on the Vigier bandwagon there is a rather tasty Excess on sale at Guitar Guitar. Price seems reasonable considering the quality of the bass. I have had an Excess since 2004 and it is still going strong. https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/product/px180127321592006--vigier-excess-1996-dark-red-burst-pre-owned

I'e now received l the hardware I need - just need to finish shaping and sanding the neck (cutting headstock and getting the tuner holes ready, and "rolling" the fingerboard edges for a played-in feel), then spray the nitrocellulose lacquer. It'l take a few weeks to properly settle, and then I can final sand and buff it.

Well last night reinforced my opinion of Paul Gray. Him being back has lifted the whole band. He is just plain awesome! Apologies to the "camera at gigs" haters. but I was at the front and kept it at chest height. :-p

Better to simplify the part and devise something that is musically correct that works in a band context than to play the "right notes but not necessarily in the right order". You can always work on getting closer to the original as time goes by.

Forgot to post on this thread the link to my blog entry about the lefty Dingwall! It's here: https://goo.gl/YaqoHB

After seeing The Damned last night, with Paul Gray back on bass, I have developed gas for a big valve amp and a Ric...

It's both. You can assign it to one or both and it'll do a load of other stuff too like assigning variable drive levels on amps or distortion pedals etc. Ive had my LT for a few weeks now and barely scratched the surface of what it can do - basically, if you can think of it, it’ll probably be able to do it.

First gig of 2018. We shlepped down to Birmingham for an 'originals only' night at a folk-club. I wasn't too hopeful. The usual mix of singer-songwriters, us and one other band (who most of the audience seemed to be there for). The promoter then swapped the running order so we had to headline to a crowd who had literally no idea what we sounded like and by the time we went on (very late and with no soundcheck) I was practically asleep. Despite all of this (and some awful level and feedback problems during the first two songs), we totally slayed and the crowd loved it. One of the loudest and most enthusiastic responses we've ever had. Apparently we totally rock. I just wish they could have heard us bring our A game. I'm starting to think that this type of audience - older, folkies - might be worth targeting. I'd assumed the thrash metal aspect of what we do wold be off-putting but apparently if you do it on a cajon and a violin, it's fine!

He needs to get out more if he thinks Paul McCartney is the worst bass player in the world. Come round mine for starters!

And this speaks a lot about the thread's topic. MB gear may not be seen with the same eyes as some years ago but there's still a lot of market for them. They didn't got worse with time, other things were designed in the meantime and now there's a bit more choice for everybody.

HB PB-50 Modded! - *Version 3.0* *Audio Clip* This is my third modification of a Harley-Benton PB-50 Precision Bass. If you want to see what the stock donor bass looks like, Thomann have it for sale here - with more and better pictures than I can be bothered to take: https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_pb_50_sb_vintage_series.htm As usual I reshaped the headstock to a 50s-style Telebass and painted the pickguard, but this time I went to town and converted the stock four-saddle top-loading bridge to a through-body two-saddle bridge with ferrules, more in keeping with the 50s vibe. Yes, I had a spare pair of pants on hand when I drilled through the body. And being a bit fed up with sunburst, I did a full refinish in Shoreline Gold. Yes, I know Shoreline Gold wasn't available until after the 57 Precision redesign, but what the hell, I really like it. The pickup is another Herrick Tele '51' - this time the Neo magnet version as opposed to the AlNiCo 5 variant fitted to v2.0. It's a bit stronger in the high mids and top end, throws out a bit more signal and sounds great. https://www.herrickpickups.com/products/tele-51-bass-single-coil/ I really liked the look and texture of the Shoreline nitro, so didn't clear coat it. I'm hoping it will age naturally in all the right places. The only stock components remaining on this assembly are the body and neck (obviously), the neck plate, the control plate, the string tree and the strap buttons. Everything else has been upgraded or replaced. As you can see, the Fender flats are getting a bit elderly and I want to get some of those La Bella flats that are specifically made for through-body bridges. Nevertheless, the bass sounds great and plays like a premium instrument costing many times more than the donor bass. Result. Body refin in Shoreline Gold nitro Pickguard in Ivory Cream Squier Vintage Modified through-body two-saddle bridge with ferrules Herrick Neodymium Telebass '51' pickup CTS solid-shaft pots, Chiclet cap .047uF, Switchcraft jack in cats-eye side plate Fender flat-top knurled control knobs with grub screws Wilkinson WJBL 200 tuners Fender 9050M steel flatwounds 55-70-90-105 Thanks for looking!

Just got this yesterday .. obviously still needs a bit of work lol ... tbc

Very excited to be able to post my new bands first track. We’re called ‘The Goodbye Look’ so if you like the song, head over and like us on Facebook. Our EP should be out by the end of the month

Fender got it right and then no one was allowed to copy it.

That is gorgeous, I wouldn’t have thought it but the light wood really suits it.

It goes back to what Jus Lukin said if you don’t know how the gear works or how to get the best sound out of it you’ll never sound good. If it’s not sounding right after learning how it works then move on. We are spoilt for choice. Plus we grow accustomed to a sound and want to expand our horizon hence pedals, basses, amps always getting punted.. how many folk have sold up gear only to regret it six months later.

+1 for the M900 Clean channel The clean channel is awesome and provides all the headroom (and that 'heft' folk refer to) you are ever likely to need for pretty much all venues that don't have an in-house sound system. The EQ section is perhaps the best available on any D class amp at a similar (or cheaper) price point on the market today, with very usable and versatile EQ centre points: Bass - 80Hz Low mids - toggle switch optionality centring at 250, 500 or 750 Hz High mids - 750Hz, 1.5kHz and 3kHz Treble - 5kHz If I was to find any room for improvement in the above it would be to have a toggle switch for the Bass to also give the option of centring at 60Hz; but hey really starting to split hairs, right? DG have pretty much nailed the EQ. This clean channel alone IMO makes the amp worth getting for the price (particularly if you can get a mint condition one second hand - which I was lucky enough to do; there were several that came up in the latter part of last year and seem to have all been snapped up). Drive channel I'm definitely not in a metal band either (actually I'm playing in two covers bands). Like many of us I'm still looking for that elusive dirt pedal (having tried several thus far, but nowhere near as many as our resident dirt boy guru @dannybuoy, who is also a M900 owner). I initially found the DG dirt to have too much top end fizz (which was not massively dissimilar to the Channel B dirt on my Two Notes Le Bass), however this was partly down to bright / aggressive Nord pups (which I love) on my Ibby SR combining with a very articulate and responsive VK 210 which has a tweeter. The DG dirt has a 'Tone' control which is essentially an LPF and allows you to cut out the top end fizz, and that combined with adjusting the tweeter crossover on the VK cab got me 85% of the way there, and has allowed me to move on several dirt pedals including my 2Notes, One Control HGBM and TC Mojomojo. What I've found interesting is that for cabs with a warmer tone e.g. my Markbass 1x12 which has a tendency to roll off the high-end or with a P-bass rather than a J bass, the high end fizz disappears entirely and actually the high end presence of the DG dirt comes into its own and becomes a plus rather than a minus. The drive channel (which is not a standalone but feeds in seamlessly to the clean channel and clean EQ) also has a clean blend to allow you keep as much 'clean' bass in the signal as you wish which is very helpful in maintaining the low end. So having come to the amp as someone pretty sceptical about the DG dirt sound (but convinced that it had one of the best clean power-amps and EQs on the market today), I find myself being pleasantly surprised by the dirt channel (which is effectively £400 worth of DG pedals) too - always nice when that happens! Intelligent foot-switch Really handy to be able to engage dirt or mute via a compact stomp box foot-switch which is included in the price. I personally also like the fact that (IMO!) it's been beautifully designed. Hope that helps. ...I'm still on the look out for that elusive dirt pedal though

Paying by PayPal gives you as much protection as paying with a credit card. PayPal always favours the buyer in disputes.

He's hardly a has been - at nearly 85 he is still as busy and successful as ever. Its hard to believe everything he says, but then again some of his rather outlandish claims seem to check out and it is difficult to argue about musical worth with someone of his pedigree. I think he has a big mouth and just doesn't care what people think! Not always an admirable quality but entertaining nether the less.

While I hope that you join this band and become both rich and famous.... I can't stand managers and hangers on who hype like this, how many times do we see the band start believing the bulls**t, stop honing their songwriting, and then still be playing the same half decent songs in small london pubs 4-5 years later "I've got Parlophone's top A&R man coming down to this one lads"...

Perhaps so, but I think the track referred to by QJ was recorded and released in 1970. Regarding references made about Richard Pryor , Marlon Brando etc in the interview, there was a great quote from Richard Pryor's ex-wife Jennifer Lee Pryor about the time - "It was the seventies. Drugs were still good, especially Quaaludes. If you did enough cocaine, you'd f*ck a radiator and send it flowers in the morning"

Well I did use that link on my Facebook page after Pat's passing John

Just bought a beautiful Warwick $$ from Kev, and it could not have been easier. A cold dark meetup at the motorway services was an absolute pleasure

In that case, if it's unavoidable, best embrace it as a 'feature', and take reassurance every time one's thumb feels it, by thinking 'Ah, yes, it's still there..! Good..!'. Make a 'positive' of it.

Boom! NBD thread here.

Oh, and if I wasn't already feeling completely inadequate... ...matching up the grain lines at the back, where no one's going to see it anyway, is just taking the p*ss!

Good call. Mike is a friend of mine and a phenomenal player... fairly sure there's nothing he can't play! (I put this down to him having one of those bendy thumbs that Jaco had. And maybe something to do with a zillion hours of practice, or whatever).

Are you in a band? If not join one now. IME you learn more and at at a faster rate playing with other musicians than you ever can no matter how motivated you are sitting on your own at home.

If your band doesn't care what you sound like then you're playing in the wrong band, with a bunch of talentless Mr and Mrs Silly Billy, who have their ears painted on. Tonight the band leader told me I sounded good and 5 people from the audience came up and complimented me. Being noticed and liked is one of the reasons I'm in a band and standing on a stage. Audiences don't have to know about me but my bands certainly do. If people ignore you maybe you don't sound good. Sound better and make them appreciate you.

I prefer this ...

A guitar tech showed me that years ago. Always press the strings at the nut and saddles (as well as generally being sensible when winding strings leaving no slack and not winding more turns than needed... 2-3 is plenty). Tuning stability from t=0 ever since. It used to be a mystery to me how these guitarists could be handed freshly strung guitars onstage gig after gig and not suffer from tuning issues... that's why.

I think 'not fashionable' is the term you're looking for. Remember the TC RH450? Everyone had one then the next thing. Genz Benz Shuttle? Great, what's next? Barefaced cabs! Before you know it they're in the FS section.

Changed my perception of old Cee Lo. Wonderful stuff.

Where did all the funk go? Juan Nelson stole it all.

Bought a very nice preamp from Bas. I can only echo the other comments here - great transaction, lots of info and fair price for a great item.. Cheers Bas - much appreciated!